Hi This is Machi
by Teh Trickster
Summary: As Machi is about to leave for her new life, she sits and reminices about her old.


**Hello everyone! Once again, the author of "The Tale Of Two Rabbits" has brought you another oneshot, this time, about Machi Kuragi! Machi is one of my favourite characters in the manga, and i feel that she's a bit like me as well, and that's why i like her!**

**The only thing about her than i don't like about her is that she likes Mr Student President, one of the characters i really dislike in the manga, but what to do? So sorry, Yuki lovers, but i really don't like him. I even like Akito and Ayame over him. However, everybody's entitled to their own opinions, so i hope that you would still read and reply, despite me not liking Yuki. I do have my reasons.**

**However, i have tried to put him in a good light, so i hope you enjoy this. However, this story is about Machi, as she is the main character.**

**Besides this story, i also have other stories, "From the Outside Looking In" and "The Tale Of Two Rabbits", both about Momiji, and i'd be really pleased if you read and reviewed those as well . . . shy giggle . . .**

**For those of you who know me, don't worry, I'm still writing, and my latest chapter of "The Tale Of Two Rabbits" should be out in about three days time.**

**Till then, see yah! Read and review, okay? Thanks in advance!**

Hi . . . This is Machi . . .

Machi bit her lip as she let her gaze drift around her room. It seemed so different, now that it was clean. All her precious belongings, books and clothes were all packed neatly in boxes, ready to be transported to the Sohma family compound. She had spent so many years living in this apartment; it was such a shame to have to leave it.

Today, her old life would end.

Any minute now, her ex-classmates, Hatsuharu and Momiji, would be there to pick up her boxes and transport them to the Sohma family compound. It would be nice to see Haru and Momiji again. And now, in her new life, they would be relatives.

She had already packed everything she needed; now there was only one last thing to do. She had to call her parents and tell them that she was leaving.

Her parents. The people she was supposed to love and cherish, who were supposed to love and cherish her back. Instead, they kicked her out of the house to live in this apartment, because they thought that she was jealous of her baby brother, and that she was trying to kill them. All she wanted to do was to protect him from the cold, by covering him with a blanket.

For heaven's sake, her parents did not even listen to her side of the story!

Ever since she was born, she had been fighting for their affection. She had been forced to compete for their father's inheritance against her half-brother, Kakeru Manabe. She had to be perfect; her mother had constantly drilled into her. There was no room for mistakes; otherwise, she would loose the inheritance! She could not afford to make mistakes! She had to concentrate on her work; she had no time to spend on other people, useless people who would only hinder her!

By all this, she had effectively turned Machi into an android, a perfect little girl with no personality whatsoever.

It had really been a relief when her younger brother was born, and the inheritance would be left to him. She really had no use for the money; she could always earn her own. Now, she could be human! She would finally have time to be herself, instead of forcing herself into the expectations of other people.

As it turned out, there was not enough left of herself to be human. She continued to be perfect, to not mix with other people because she was so used to being perfect. No matter how hard she tried, she could only go back to being perfect.

She had been with her mother when her mother was stopped by a relative. "How wonderful for you," that relative had gushed. "Now that you have a son, the inheritance would go to him!"

"Yes," her mother said with a laugh. "Isn't it great? Now, I don't have to worry. To tell the truth, I was worried about Machi ending up with the inheritance. Look at her, no personality whatsoever. She only knows how to study."

"Yes, true," the other woman mused. "Oh well, now you don't have to worry so much."

"Yes," her mother had replied with a smile. They then moved on to talk about more important things, but Machi had barely heard them. Her mind was still burning with what her mother had said earlier.

When the two women said their goodbyes, Machi turned on her mother. "How could you say that!" she demanded. "I've worked so hard for you, mother!"

Her mother snapped back, "Don't blame me for the way you turned out!"

"But it was you who raised me this way!" Machi cried out. "You were the one who told me that I had to be perfect, that I could not afford a single error! I was only following what you taught me!"

There was silence, tension. Machi was breathing hard; she had finally managed to say everything that was on her mind.

Finally, her mother spoke. "Maybe you're right," she said finally. "Maybe there was really a mistake in the way I raised you."

Machi could not stand it anymore. She wanted to cry, to scream at the top of her voice. She was going to loose her self control any minute now. She turned and ran away as fast as she could, ignoring her mother yelling for her to come back this minute. She couldn't stand to be in her company any longer, the woman who raised her to be this way, and then considered her a mistake.

She ran all the way back home, and slammed the door to her room. She stared at her perfect room, everything neat and tidy and in their correct positions. Suddenly, she couldn't stand this idea of perfection anymore. It made her sick.

She trashed her room. When her parents made her clear everything up, the moment their backs were turned, she trashed it again.

Ever since then, every time she saw something perfect, she would destroy it. Even if it was a classroom, a box of chalk, or the student council room, she would trash it. She was, as Naohito Sakuragi had labelled her, the destroyer. Sometimes, she was also labelled the female version of Haru because the mess she made in her destructive rages were the equivalent of the destruction Haru caused as Black Haru.

A year later, she was banished to live in this apartment. She had been here ever since. Now though, it was time to leave – she was moving into the Sohma compound, to live with the man who was to be her husband in a few hours. She was so nervous, but she was happy too, she was in love with him as much as he was in love with her, and she could finally be herself.

She glared at her phone, before picking it up and dialling her parents' number. Nobody was in, her parents were at work and her brother was in college. She was relieved; at least she did not have to speak to them personally.

"Please leave a message after the beep," she heard her father's calm voice over the answering machine.

"Um . . ." Machi had to clear her throat. "Hi, this is Machi . . . I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you this earlier, because I was afraid that you'd not allow me to do so. I'll . . . I'll be moving to the Sohma compound today, and this would be my new number." She reached into her pocket, pulled out a slip of paper and read out the number scrawled on it. "I'm sorry that I barely communicated with you these past few years, because I thought that you wouldn't care no matter what I did. However, at least I'm happy now, because I've finally found someone to care for me. You were supposed to be the ones to care for me, but you failed. If you really do care, then feel happy for me, because I'm finally happy." She put down the phone. Really, she did feel good that finally, she had let everything out. She could go into her new life without worrying about her old one.

At that moment, the door opened, and she saw him, grey hair and all. As usual, he was neat and well dressed. He stepped in and took her hand. "Are you ready to go yet?" he asked her.

"Yes," Machi replied. "I'm done here." Both of them were silent for a while, looking at the room. "So this is what it looks like when it's neat."

He laughed. "Yup. I kind of miss the mess though – it looks perfect now, and I feel uncomfortable around perfection anyway."

Machi smiled at him. "Oh well, at least I can leave my mess at our house then."

"I'd really like that," he replied. "It'll really feel like home then."

At that moment, Momiji bounded into the room, Haru following calmly. It really was funny – Momiji looked so grown up, yet he still danced around like a kid. "Hi, Machi-chan! You ready to go yet?"

"Yuki can't wait to have you at his house," Haru deadpanned. Yuki glared at Haru, but the effect was spoiled by the blush across his face. "I was right," Haru remarked.

"Yes, I'm ready," she replied. And, she really was.

"Okay!" Momiji replied enthusiastically. They started moving Machi's packed belongings into Yuki's car. Momiji did not have a driving licence yet – he was too lazy to learn how to drive, and nobody trusted Haru behind the wheel. Either they'd end up hopelessly lost, or dead because Haru had crashed into something.

Machi had to smile – the mental image was just too funny.

It was funny, that even though she couldn't stand perfection, she had fallen for a man who seemed to resemble perfection. Even in high school, Yuki Sohma resembled perfection. He had good grades; he was handsome, kind, the 'Prince' of Kaibara high.

As it turned out, he was not as perfect as everybody thought he was. Maybe, that was what drew her to him. Both of them hated perfection anyway, the state of Yuki's room wasn't that much better than hers.

"Okay, we're done," Yuki announced. He took her hand. "Ready to go yet?"

Machi nodded. She squeezed his hand, and they both left the apartment, out of her old life, and into her new.


End file.
